An introduction to animals and political theory

Abstract

How should political communities govern their relations with animals?
Are animals owed justice?
What might justice for animals involve?
Alasdair Cochrane introduces the most prominent schools in contemporary political theory – utilitarianism, liberalism, communitarianism, Marxism and feminism – and examines their implications for issues such as meat-eating, intensive agriculture, animal experimentation, religious slaughter and hunting.
An introduction to animals and political theory explores the debates and discusses controversies over what makes an entity worthy of justice: is it rationality, the ability to contribute to society, sentience, or something else? It also introduces and engages with debates about what our political obligations to animals might entail: is it simply not to cause them unnecessary suffering, or do we have much more demanding obligations not to kill, own, or even use non-human animals?